Tuesday, March 15, 2005
This is a story from a friend that dates back to....the early 1980's. Setting: Asia...her family, along with scores of other young american families were living in Asia, either Hong Kong or Japan. To a young girl of 6 or 7, this was an exciting time. New people, new culture, new experiences and new foods. While out to dinner one night, she eyes something on the platter that interests her. Wow!! her eys grow wild with anticipation. It is a whole bunch of a green substance resembling, in her view, avocado. She sits there wondering why no one is taking it. Her brothers have no interest, mom & dad don't pay it much attention either. No here she is. She has been patient and used every ounce of self control to not reach up her spoon to retrieve the green delight. She can contain herself no longer. Her pavlovian responses begin to fill her mouth with cups of saliva.
Feeling as though she is going to explode, she reaches for her treasure. No one pays her any mind. Her brothers sit there and continue their bickering, mom & dad are wrapped up in conversation. She sits for a moment and thinks. "Whew...nobody stopped me from taking it...I am home free!" With a gimongus smile plastered on her face, she raises the spoon to her mouth and ins.........
WHAM!!!!...fear, terror, sadness, scared...what the?! Tears...lots of tears....she sees her father had lept from his chair and smacked the spoon away from her mouth. "why wouldn't he let me have it. I love avocado"...too many thoughts clouded her young mind and all she could do was cry. Her father seeing her fright and her petrified face did the one thing that parents to with their children when they cry, he brought her close and hugged her. He tried to explain to her that he wasn't angry with her and that she was about to eat a spoonful of wasabi, not avocado.
At this point she couldn't hear his words, but needed to feel the comfort of his arms and the warmth of his fatherly embrace. He was sorry for scarring her, but the other results would have been so much worse.
Parents do many things, we as their children do not understand. Even in my minimal age as an "almost 30" person, I often am puzzled and pissed at how my parents try to guide my life. It is with this idea that parents want only the best for their children, that I am able to function through their little rants and diatribes. They truly want what is in the best interest. However, the means to getting to that end, may differ from my view and at some points, live diametrically opposed to how I want to live my life. But cest la vie once again! That is the beauty of growing up in a liberal and free household. As long as I am happy, not hurting myself or others, and moving towards some goal, I keep my parents happy.
Remember. That spike or sudden 'abrupt' reality check we can get from our parents, is often times much better than the alternative of continuing down a path towards unpleasantries.
Ok.. the above excerpt wasn't from me.. from a blog that i randomly visited.. find his entries really insightful.. wish i had his capacity and depth of thought..
